Brendan Rodgers believes much of the controversy surrounding Raheem Sterling stems from a complete misunderstanding of Liverpool's training methods.

The England star has been subjected to sustained criticism and even outrageous abuse following his admission to coach Gary Neville he was feeling heavy-legged on the eve of a Euro qualifier against Estonia.

That followed fast on the back of a similar storm over Daniel Sturridge, when the player asked to lighten his training workload on international duty, because he had “second day recovery” at Anfield.

England boss Roy Hodgson subsequently hit out at Liverpool by stating that there was no medical basis for second day recovery, but the Reds boss explained yesterday that recovery doesn't mean rest.

Many former players, including high profile ones like Paul Scholes, have criticised both Sterling and Liverpool by echoing Hodgson's claim the second day of recovery isn't necessary, but Rodgers insisted that's because they simply don't understand a modern training concept.

When asked if the criticism was difficult to take he replied: “It’s not difficult because I have a way of working. As a British coach working in a different way I have experienced that right through my career.

“Sometimes it can be lack of knowledge and understanding. I’d say that is what it is. I’ve defined what second day recovery is and maybe some former players' lack of knowledge of that means they see it in a different way.

“A second day recovery is part of our programme but it’s a football session. It's not sitting at home with your feet up watching tv."

Rodgers believes that football has moved on substantially even in the past five years because of the incredible pace of the game, and the need to continually press high during games, and he believes that has led to former players and some old fashioned coaches misunderstanding his methods.

But he insisted the Liverpool players themselves understand what the club is trying to do – which is to extend their careers, just as Steven Gerrard has done.

“What we are ingraining in them here is a modern and innovative way to look after your body,” he added.

“For the modern player the game is different, the speed of the game is different even to what it was five years ago. They are getting engrained and educated about how to look after their body and hopefully that will prolong their career.

“You have to be careful, and you have to treat players individually. They can not play every game at the top level, in particular young players. Otherwise they will break and end up finished at 26 or 27.”

Rodgers also revealed that in explaining to his international coaches he was tired, Sterling was simply showing he has taken on board the philosophy they preach at Anfield.

On the criticism the winger has received, his manager said: “It is sad, and I think it is grossly unfair on a kid who has shown honesty and responsibility.

“You’ll speak to players that have played the game for a long time and they will tell you they’ve gone into a game and haven’t been right and they’ve come out of the game and let the team down.

“Then you will have a coach or manager standing up afterwards saying ‘listen if you’re not right it’s for the benefit of the team’ and it’s where some players might be a little bit selfish but they just want to give everything.

“What I’ve been really proud in watching Raheem is his honesty and responsibility. And responsibility for a 19-year-old boy to say he was tired, he didn’t say he didn’t want to play, he did not say that - because this is a kid who loves playing.

“He never misses a day’s training, his out on the training field every single day, the work ethic he puts in for his game. He loves playing for England, around the time of getting the call up I seen the excitement in his eyes when he was called up to go and play with the fantastic players and he has enjoyed every minute of that.

“This is a boy that felt a bit tired but he didn’t say he didn’t want to play. He said he felt tired and I’m sure if you asked half or three quarters of the squad they will probably have said they felt a bit tired.”

Rodgers also revealed that he disagrees strongly with former players like Scholes – and even ex-Liverpool players Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen – who claim young players shouldn't be tired.

“I disagree with that and those are players that I admire,” the Reds boss said of the distinguished trio of former England stars.

“Carra I worked with here, he was an incredible player for me and all those guys you have mentioned there, he [Sterling] is a human being, he is not a machine.

“Yeah you can be tired, but you can still play. This is a kid that has gone from the parks to the youth team to the peak, international football so there is going to be a slight mental fatigue but that still means he might be able to play.

“I’ve seen it in a number of games here like. I can probably talk about him a bit more because I’ve worked closely with him for over two years now, so I know there are games he will be tired.

“I don’t think it is right that people say a kid can’t be tired or any player. But of course the players with the mentality will go through it.”